The Story Stick tells all

In woodworking, the term story stick refers to a piece of wood that has the various dimensions to a project such that it can be duplicated time and time again. It might be used to facilitate the making of reproduction furniture or to help hang the shelves in your kitchen. Each stick tells the story of the project for which it was made and thus the story stick. What are our lives but story sticks.

Remember the movie "Fish"? It was about a father who had made a number of friends over the course of his lifetime, many of whom were "unbelievable" characters. Perhaps, it was an embellishment of a story for a son by a father to create intrigue for the son, or just maybe, it was the father's way of seeing beyond the obvious which I believe is the lesson learned. Because of the almost implausible nature of some of these characters, the son always believed that the individuals involved were nothing more than fictitious. As the movie comes to its' conclusion at the father's funeral, these seemingly fictional characters come to life. In truth, the sureal was brought into reality, and the father's "imaginary" existence was made credible, restoring the son's love and appreciation for his dad.

Quite possibly none of us has a cast of characters that could compare to those in this movie, but surely we have our own guild. Family and friends who make life interesting provide us with the content of our own stories. Using the story stick to dimension our lives will keep us honest and true, provide a template for others to copy, and a "written text" that, hopefully, will measure up in time!